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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

By Jennifer Olvera

The following piece is included in the forthcoming Gambling Issue. At the time the interview was conducted, the winners of Top Chef had not yet been announced

SEASONED CHEF: STEPHANIE IZARD

By Jennifer Olvera

According to Greek mythology, a grotesque, multiheaded sea creature named Scylla lived under a rock, haunting the narrow passage of the Strait of Messina. But things weren’t always that way: Scylla, a onetime nymph, was poisoned and disfigured by a scorned sorceress who fell in love with her man. Call the tale romantic, depressing or just plain strange, but it was enough to captivate Stephanie Izard, who named her lauded Chicago restaurant after the beast.

In 2005, at the age of 27, Izard did the unthinkable: She opened an intimate, seafood-centric spot in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood with support of only family and friends. “I found this teeny, 120-year-old house, and it just felt right,” Izard says.

Things were cruising along: Blogs buzzed about her beyond-the-norm combinations and critics cocked their heads with interest, marveling at her way with fish. Still, the tables weren’t consistently packed. So last August — after tweaking the menu and lowering prices — Izard closed up shop and sold the building to James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Takashi Yagihashi. Yagihashi has since opened the eponymous Asian fusion restaurant, Takashi, in the space.

Izard hardly packed up her knives, however; she was selected — amid the closing of Scylla and sale of the space — to compete on the fourth season of Bravo’s hit show Top Chef, which was taped in Chicago and began airing March 12th.

In a way, it’s not surprising Izard landed on the fast track — especially if you think child’s play is indicative of what’s to come. “My sister and I would invite friends over and set up a ‘restaurant,’” says Izard, who was born in Chicago but grew up in Stamford, Connecticut. “Someone would handle the front of the house, and someone would do the cooking. We’d even make fake menus.”

Later, while on a family vacation at Disney’s Epcot Center, Izard jetted to the World Showcase to have lunch in “France.” The experience wooed her beyond belief. “We ate ham and cheese crepes with mushroom sauce, and they were so good,” she says, practically licking her chops at the memory. “So I went home and re-created the dish. I think I was nine years old.”

By the age of 12, Izard was preparing all manner of global cuisine at home. “One night I’d make tempura, the next night I’d cook something completely different for my family,” she recalls.

Izard didn’t go to college to become a chef. Although she initially concentrated on business, Izard actually left the University of Michigan with a degree in sociology. “While I was in school, I told my dad I wasn’t happy,” she says. “He said I should go to culinary school, and now I definitely thank him for that.”

After graduating, Izard took her pop’s advice and attended a yearlong program at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona. Right out of the gate, Izard realized she had a penchant — and talent — for employing great flavor combinations. “But I realized I hadn’t done a lot of the basics,” she admits. “I remember, on the first day of class, being told we’d start out making salads for someone. At that point, I knew this would be a much longer process than I had anticipated. I wasn’t going to leave school and be the big boss lady.” It was an intimidating experience. “They’d put a dead cow in front of you and tell you to make it into little portions,” she says. “I didn’t breeze through. I definitely worked hard.”